About the ICE Program

Undergraduate students enrolled in a California Community College or a California State University campus may enroll in a University of California campus without formal admission for a maximum of one course per quarter. Students are charged a per-unit, non-refundable administrative fee that is based on the current California Community College unit rate. Rates are subject to change. The ICE program is only available during regular academic terms (fall, winter, spring).  Summer enrollment must go through the standard summer registration process. 

For prospective engineering majors, this is a unique and cost effective way to transition to UCSB by getting to know faculty and students in the academic community at UCSB, becoming accustomed to the quarter system, and and possibly fulfilling some curricular requirements that might result in fewer quarters to complete a degree program.

Situations where this would be beneficial might include required lower division engineering courses that are not typically taught at the community college OR courses that offer better scheduling options than equivalents that are taught at the community college (e.g., ChE 5, ChE 10, ECE 10A-B-C, ME 14, ME 15, ME 16, ME 17).  It's important you speak with an academic advisor in the UCSB College of Engineering prior to enrolling in one of these courses.

Qualifications for the ICE program include:

• Completion of one term at the home campus
• 6 unit minimum enrollment at home campus
• 2.0 GPA at home campus, good academic standing
• Registered/paid at home campus
• Prerequisite requirements met
• California resident

The ICE application is available here.